Physical therapy is already an incredibly low-cost treatment option compared to other care options like surgery or corticosteroid injections, and it gets even cheaper if you opt to find some free PT exercises on the web instead of connecting with a therapist at a nearby clinic. Don’t get us wrong, there is a lot of great advice on the internet when it comes to making a strong recovery on your own with the help of physical therapy. However, even if we exclude all the less-than-stellar advice, it is oftentimes so much better to sync up with a PT who can view your injury and movement patterns in person. In today’s blog, we explain why an individualized physical therapy plan can lead to much better recovery results than a generic plan you find on the internet.
Why Individualized Advice Matters
No two people or injuries are ever exactly the same, so why would you want to follow some generic exercise advice when you could instead meet up with a physical therapist who can craft a recovery plan to your individual needs? Some of the main reasons why an individual recovery plan can yield much better recovery results include:
- Your Age – Young, old or somewhere in between, you’re going to have some unique-age related challenges or advantages that should be acknowledged during your recovery. If you’re younger, we may be able to push you a little harder to help you make a stronger and faster recovery, whereas if you’re older, we may couple our care routine with other helpful exercises like balance or gait training to ensure you stay upright on your feet. Age-related challenges warrant individualized advice.
- Activity Level – A senior citizen working to recover after a knee injury will have different return-to-activity goals than a younger athlete who wants to get back on the field with their team. These patients should not be pursuing the same rehab exercises because their activity level and fitness goals are much different. We want to tailor a specific recovery program to your goals so that you can return to all the activities you love without worrying about a setback.
- Your Job – Perhaps you are most concerned about how your injury will affect your ability to earn a paycheck. If this is the case, you absolutely want to seek out in-person physical therapy. Every person will face their own challenges and work duties, so you want a rehab plan catered to the actions and motions you perform the most. If you’re hoping to return to work in a quick and safe manner, connect with a PT at a local clinic.
- Previous Injuries – If you’ve suffered injuries to nearby body areas or this isn’t the first time you’ve tried to overcome an injury to a specific area of your body part, know that there will be some underlying factors that you’ll want to account for during your PT sessions. Your physical therapist will ensure that nearby systems are strong and supportive, and they’ll try to address the underlying issue, not just the symptoms, so that your issue doesn’t become a chronic problem.
- Adjustments – Finally, your physical therapist can adjust your PT routine based on your progress or any stagnation you’ve experienced so that you can continue to work towards your end goals. If you’re only following exercises that you found online, there’s a good chance you’re not adjusting those exercises to account for the progress you’ve made. This can cause your progress to plateau. Consider connecting with a physical therapist who can make adjustments throughout your recovery plan to keep your progress on track.
If you’re convinced that a PT is right for your situation, we hope that you’ll connect with the team at OrthoRehab PT. For more information, connect with our clinic today at (612) 339-2041.